Studies on intestinal trematodes in Korea: XVIII. Effects of praziquantel in the treatment of Fibricola seoulensis infection in albino rats.

The therapeutic effect of praziquantel on Fibricola seoulensis infection were studied by experimental infection of albino rats with the metacercariae obtained from the snakes. Total 51 albino rats were infected each with 500 or 1,000 metacercariae in number through intragastric tubes. One or four weeks later the rats were treated with 1, 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg sigle dose of praziquantel and sacrificed after 3 days or 10-120 minutes to search for the worms in their small intestine. The worms recovery rate at 3 days after the treatment was 10.7% in 1 mg/kg does group and 0.03~0.2% in 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg group, while that of untreated control was 51.3%. The minimum effective dose to treat F. seoulensis infection in the rats is considered to be 5 mg/kg in sigle dose. By observing the distribution pattern of worms in the small intestine after the treatment, dislodgment of the worms froms the duodenum, thier normal habitat, to the lower portion was recognizable within as early as 10 minutes. The majority of worms was found to have descended to the ileo-caecal portion after 60-120 minutes.